In a nail-biting opening round of the Demerara Under-19 Inter-Association 50-over tournament, East Bank held its nerve to beat East Coast by five runs at Enmore Community Centre ground yesterday.
Under blistering sunshine, East Bank won the toss and opted to take first strike on a well-prepared pitch suitable for batting. East Bank went on to post 161 for eight from their allotted overs and then contained East Coast to 156 all out from their full quota.
The East Bank side was off to a decent start from seasoned campaigners in former West Indies Under-16 captain, Sachin Singh and national youth wicketkeeper, Yeudistir Persaud, who added 56 runs for the opening partnership. Singh was off to a furious start with three boundaries off of Trevon Charles in the first over, including a remarkable cover drive to get off the mark. The left-hander was given a life when he was put down at mid-on when on 15 but was bowled by Rudranauth Kissoon for 27 from 43 balls.